- Jarange, who began his march from Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, was accompanied by hundreds of vehicles.
- Jarange has assured that the protest will remain peaceful and not disrupt Ganesh festival celebrations.
- Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ aide on Tuesday met with Patil in Jalna to urge him to postpone his protest in Mumbai in light of the Ganpati.
Maratha quota agitation leader Manoj Jarange reached Mumbai on Friday morning, a few hours before his scheduled protest at Azad Maidan, PTI reported.
Jarange, who began his march from Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district on Wednesday, was accompanied by hundreds of vehicles. He was greeted by supporters at Vashi as he entered the city. Thousands of his followers have already arrived in Mumbai to join the demonstration.
The 43-year-old activist has called for a fresh hunger strike demanding a 10 per cent quota for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. He has also sought recognition of all Marathas as Kunbis—an agrarian caste listed under OBC—which would make them eligible for reservation in government jobs and education.
Jarange has assured that the protest will remain peaceful and not disrupt Ganesh festival celebrations.
Authorities have put restrictions in place to ensure law and order. Jalna police permitted the march with 40 conditions, instructing participants not to block traffic or raise objectionable slogans. In Mumbai, police have allowed a peaceful protest at Azad Maidan on August 29 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., capping the number of protesters at 5,000 and restricting entry to only five vehicles.
Over 1,500 police personnel have been deployed at the protest site, while security has been strengthened at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus where supporters have been arriving from across Maharashtra, officials said.
Earlier, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ aide on Tuesday met with Patil in Jalna to urge him to postpone his protest in Mumbai in light of the Ganpati.